Theissen happy with end of Friday testing

BMW motorsport director Mario Theissen is happy to see the end of Friday
testing as he thinks it was not very good for spectators. The teams that
signed the 'Heathrow' agreement, Jordan, Minardi, Jaguar and Renault, had
limited testing through the...

BMW motorsport director Mario Theissen is happy to see the end of Friday
testing as he thinks it was not very good for spectators. The teams that
signed the 'Heathrow' agreement, Jordan, Minardi, Jaguar and Renault, had
limited testing through the year in return for two hours private testing on
Friday mornings of race weekends. One of the changes to regulations agreed
by the FIA recently was to scrap Friday testing next year and just have the
two free practice sessions.

Dr Mario Theissen and Juan Pablo Montoya.

Photo by BMW PressClub.

"This year the 'Heathrow teams' had the opportunity to do some free testing
on Friday morning," said Theissen, according to the BMW website. "All those
spectators who aren't deeply involved and don't know all the current
regulations, must have been wondering why there were only six or seven cars
out on the track and why there were drivers behind the wheels who weren't
part of the grid."

"On the other hand there were teams, among them the BMW WilliamsF1 Team, who
made an extensive testing effort on the days after the GP weekends -- under
the eyes of nearly no spectators at all. From my point of view this wasn't a
satisfying situation. I'm delighted that we have been able to return to a
standard schedule."

In 2004 all teams will be allowed 48 days testing with as many cars as they
wish. Another regulation, that of only one engine per race weekend, also
meets with Theissen's approval. "This has been discussed already last year,
a discussion the engine manufacturers have been involved in," he said, in
regard to the engine rule.

"Already at that time we said: 'We are going to support this plan'. We are
going to develop an engine that will be able to run some 800 kilometres.
So we all started developing this engine nearly one year ago, so it's
important that this regulation has been really introduced now. This is the
only way to achieve a cost reduction on the technical side."